The present disclosure relates to height adjustable patient supports and in particular, to a system and method for automatically adjusting a patient support to a preferred height specific to a particular user.
Modern hospital beds typically have height adjustment mechanisms and articulation mechanisms, allowing the patient support surface of the bed to assume different configurations at different distances from the floor. The reason for this is that the ideal height and configuration of the patient support depends on whether the patient is resting or interacting with others, is being moved onto or out of the bed, or is getting into or out of the bed unaided. For example, the ideal height for the patient support surface when the patient is getting out of the bed, referred to as bed egress, (or for getting into the bed which is referred to as bed ingress) is lower than the height that is ideal for caregivers providing care. In the following text, when reference is made to bed egress, bed ingress is also intended.
Typically, the adjustment mechanisms are electrically powered and operated using keys, or one or more user interfaces, provided on the bed. The patient or caregiver adjusts the height of the bed as required in the circumstances. The ideal height for patient egress depends on the size of the patient, so the patient or caregiver must judge when the ideal height has been reached each time the height of the bed is adjusted.
It would be desirable to provide a system and method for adjusting the height of a patient support surface that is more efficient and relies less on caregiver judgment and effort.